Machinery vibration problems typically occur due to imbalance, misalignment, resonance, or other issues. Imbalance causes a vibration equal to the rotational speed and increases with speed. Misalignment produces harmonics of the running speed. Resonance amplifies vibrations when a driving force matches a structure's natural frequency. Other problems include gears, bearings, looseness, and more. Vibration analysis uses instruments like FFT analyzers to diagnose issues by identifying frequencies and amplitudes. Proper vibration limits help determine acceptable machine conditions.
Machinery vibration problems typically occur due to imbalance, misalignment, resonance, or other issues. Imbalance causes a vibration equal to the rotational speed and increases with speed. Misalignment produces harmonics of the running speed. Resonance amplifies vibrations when a driving force matches a structure's natural frequency. Other problems include gears, bearings, looseness, and more. Vibration analysis uses instruments like FFT analyzers to diagnose issues by identifying frequencies and amplitudes. Proper vibration limits help determine acceptable machine conditions.
Original Description:
this document is for techinician condition monitoring
Machinery vibration problems typically occur due to imbalance, misalignment, resonance, or other issues. Imbalance causes a vibration equal to the rotational speed and increases with speed. Misalignment produces harmonics of the running speed. Resonance amplifies vibrations when a driving force matches a structure's natural frequency. Other problems include gears, bearings, looseness, and more. Vibration analysis uses instruments like FFT analyzers to diagnose issues by identifying frequencies and amplitudes. Proper vibration limits help determine acceptable machine conditions.
Machinery vibration problems typically occur due to imbalance, misalignment, resonance, or other issues. Imbalance causes a vibration equal to the rotational speed and increases with speed. Misalignment produces harmonics of the running speed. Resonance amplifies vibrations when a driving force matches a structure's natural frequency. Other problems include gears, bearings, looseness, and more. Vibration analysis uses instruments like FFT analyzers to diagnose issues by identifying frequencies and amplitudes. Proper vibration limits help determine acceptable machine conditions.
Machine parts are all over the floor or machine wants to walk out of the building None can stand the machine running for more than 15 min. When there is a noise problem When the boss complains Machine wear parts are being changed frequently (bearings or couplings every 6 months) Cracks or bad parts Machinery does not live up to its expected life SYMPTOMS …. SOURCES (locate and fix)
2 Good (Normal) and Bad (Serious) Vibrations
Normal operation (not cause for alarm)
120 Hz motor hum pure tones from motors (esp. variable frequency drives) gearmesh frequencies fans and pumps- broadband turbulence
Serious stuff (accelerates wear and leads to premature failure)
Forced vibrations on machines are corrected by mass
balancing, aligning or changing bad parts. Natural vibrations are a structural effect, also called resonance and is to be corrected differently (such as dynamic absorber).
4 Vibration Instrument for Diagnosis
FFT Analyzer (fancy AC voltmeters with a frequency display axis) separates the frequencies (identifying specific causes) and quantifies the amplitude (judging how bad).
5 2- Unbalance Most common cause and the easiest to diagnose. Condition where center of mass is not coincident with center of rotation Typical causes: casting porosity, nonuniform density, loss of material during operation, manufacturing tolerances, machining, couplings, bearings, anything that affects the rotational mass distribution Shows up as a vibration frequency exactly equal to the rotational speed (amplitude proportional to the amount of unbalance). Must do frequency analysis to diagnose. Speed dependent due to centrifugal force; vibration increases as the square of the speed Low axial readings, In phase Unbalanced and balanced motor spectrum
6 Source: Wonk, Machinery Vibration
7 3- Misalignment Coupling misalignment- shafts of the driver and the driven machine are not on the same centerline (parallel or angular) Vertical or Horizontal- can be frustrating Why misalignment? Equipment from different suppliers are mated together. Example: motors and pumps (centrifugal pump) Flexible couplings are used to take up misalignment (but could strain the couplings, bearings and seals) Shows up as a series of harmonics of the running speed- as shafts are cyclically strained towards each other (audible growl of misalignment) Misalignment is temperature dependent (vibration changes on warm up) High axial readings ~180 degrees out of phase (machine casing rocks out of phase with the machine) Less sensitive to speed changes. Forces due to misalignment remain constant with speed Align first; and if a high 1X rpm vibration remains, then balance.
8 Source: Wonk, Machinery Vibration
9 4- Resonance Driving force applied to a structure is close to its natural frequency and amplification occurs Driving force can be residual imbalance in a rotating machine or broadband turbulence due to fluid motion Beams, plates have resonant frequencies, not just one (for single dof) Resonance is highly speed sensitive, damping decreases the maximum amplitude and broadens the response curve Rotors have resonances (critical speeds)- remember rotors runs smoother above the critical speed than below it; example: squeaking in an automobile at highway speeds goes away with a change in speed An impulse will excite the system to natural frequencies Directional vibrations suggest resonance Key indicators: an audible pure tone, a clean sine wave in the time domain and a single tall peak in the frequency domain 10 Identifying Resonance Stop the machine, do the bump test, measure natural frequencies. If these frequencies appear in the spectrum when the machine is running, then you have confirmed resonance. The second way is to watch the spectrum as the machine changes speed (coast-down). The resonances don’t change frequency as the machine speed changes.
11 5- Others High frequencies Gears (shock pulses arise with defective teeth contact) gear-mesh frequencies: rpmX no of teeth Cavitation: 3-5 kHz broadband; pressurizing inlet helps Medium frequencies Bearings (failure causes: contamination, overstress, lack of lubrication, defects created after manufacturing) Motor (electrical) 120 Hz + harmonics Mechanical Looseness ½, 1 ½, 2 ½ etc. Decreases with load At 1x rpm Bent shaft (correct with massive balance weights near the center Reciprocating At Less than 1x rpm Belts (p rpm pitch dia) Strobe light helps see the defect Oil whirl (approx. 45% of 1Xrpm) in journal bearings Looseness
12 Source: Wonk, Machinery Vibration
13 6- Vibration Limits
14 15 References Machinery Vibration by Victor Wonk, McGraw Hill http://www.vibanalysis.co.uk/vibanalysis/index.htm
